|
SCUTTLEBUTT 2767 - Monday, January 26, 2009Scuttlebutt is published each weekday with the support of its sponsors,providing a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Today's sponsors are Southern Spars and MyBoatsGear.com. PICTURE PERFECT CONCLUSION TO ACURA KEY WEST Key West, FL (Jan. 23, 2009) - Competing in Acura Key West 2009 meant two races a day for five straight days, and for what was an unseasonably cold week in Key West, Friday provided the nicest weather to close out the event. Always good to close on a high note, something that Jeff Ecklund and his crew wholeheartedly embraced as the Star crew celebrated after pulling out a tough victory in Melges 32 class. Star endured a difficult Thursday with results of 11th and 12th and found itself tied with Red (Joe Woods, Torbay, GBR) going into last two races. Ecklund and tactician Harry Melges made the right calls as Star posted a fourth and a second to beat Red by nine points. “We made it difficult on ourselves with that one bad day. We had to come out today and get the job done and we did,” said Ecklund, who repeated as Melges 32 champion at Acura Key West. Ecklund, who has been semi retired for several years since making a fortune as a commodities trader in Chicago, was thrilled to learn that Star had been selected as Acura Boat of the Week. Melges 32 was deemed the most closely contested of the regatta with the top six finishers separated by only 17 points. Ecklund, 46, grew up racing Scows on the Great Lakes with Buddy Melges and his son Harry, whose family-owned company builds both the Melges 32, 24 and the hot new 20. Harry Melges, who is now president and CEO of Melges Boatworks, serves as tactician on Star. “It would be hard to do this without Harry. He is one of the best sailors in the world and I’m fortunate to have him by my side,” said Ecklund, who began steering his own boat about six years ago. -- Results and reports: http://www.premiere-racing.com/09_KW_Results/kw09_results_reports.htm * The event newspaper, Race Week News, which includes all the results along with race stories and competitor profiles, is available online in digital form: http://www.premiere-racing.com/09_KW_Results/kw09_race_week_news.htm * Special thanks to photographers Staefano Gattini, Sharon Green, John Payne, Leighton O'Connor, and PhotoBoat for contributing to Scuttlebutt’s annual Key West photo gallery: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/09/kw Final Series Results (10 Races) IRC 1 (8 boats) 1. Ran, TP52, Niklas Zennstrom, Hamble, UK, 18 2. Rosebud/Team DYT, STP 65, Roger Sturgeon, Hyannis, MA, USA, 25 3. Rio, TP52, Charles Dunstone, Cowes, GBR, 28 IRC 2 (13 boats) 1. Soozal, King 40, Daniel Woolery, Pt. Richmond, CA, USA, 19 2. Ngoni, Mills 40, Tony Buckingham, Jersey, UK, 26 3. Gold Digger, J/44, James Bishop, Jamestown, RI, USA, 42 Farr 40 (12 boats) 1. Mascalzone Latino, Vincenzo Onorato, Napoli, ITA, 32 2. Joe Fly, Giovanni Maspero, Como, ITA, 35 3. Barking Mad, James Richardson, Newport, RI, USA, 35 Swan 42 (6 boats) 1. Vitesse, Jon Halbert, Dallas, TX, USA, 29 2. Arethusa, Phil Lotz, Newport, RI, USA, 31 3. Celeritas, Malcolm Gefter, Newport, RI, USA, 35 Farr 30 (5 boats) 1. Rhumb Punch, John & Linda Edwards, Solomons, MD, USA, 28 2. Mummbles, Brad Kauffman, Annapolis, MD, USA, 28 3. Kinetic, David Sutcliffe, Vancouver, CAN, 30 Melges 32 (20 boats; with discard) 1. Star, Jeff Ecklund, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA, 36 2. Red, Joe Woods, Torquay, GBR, 43 3. Argo, Jason Carroll, Larchmont, NY, USA, 44 Melges 24 (32 boats; with discard) 1. UKA UKA Racing, Lorenzo Bressani, Civitanova Marc, ITA, 20 2. Blu Moon, Franco Rossini, Lugano, SUI, 27 3. Joe Fly, Maspero/Zandona, Como, ITA, 42 J/105 (12 boats) 1. Savasana, Brian Keane, Marion, MA, USA, 26 2. eclipse, Damian Emery, Mt. Sinai, NY, USA, 29 3. Max Power, Gerrit Schulze, Cape May, NJ, USA, 30 J/80 (14 boats) 1. Rumor, John Storck, Jr., Huntington, NY, USA, 16 2. Kicks, William Rose, League City, TX, USA, 26 3. Angry Chameleon, Kristen Robinson, Annapolis, MD, USA, 47 PHRF 1 (7 boats) 1. Primal Scream, C&C 115, Steven Stollman, Key Biscayne ,FL, USA, 26 2. Wairere, Thompson 30, Pete Hunter, Kill Devil Hill, NC, USA, 34 3. Kali, BH 36, Lynn Dell, Pensacola, FL, USA, 39 PHRF 2 (8 boats) 1. Good Girl, J/100, Robert Armstrong, St. Croix, USVI, 12 2. RUSH, J/109, Bill Sweetser, Annapolis, MD, USA, 25 3. Man-O-War, J/35, Tom Beery / Mark Itnyre, Pascagoula, MS, USA, 28 PHRF 3 (7 boats) 1. Tangent, Cape fear 38, Gerry Taylor, Annapolis, MD, USA, 13 2. L’Outrage, Beneteau 10M, Bruce Gardner, Annapolis, MD, USA, 19 3. Seefest, J/29, Ira Perry, Padanaram, MA, USA, 37.5 PHRF 4 (8 boats) 1. Elysium, John Nevin, Milford, CT, USA, 18 2. Lightning Rod, S2 9.1, David Eames, Ft. Walton, FL, USA, 21 3. Lobo Rojo, B-25, Philip Davis,Oak Cliff, TX, USA, 44 RIGGED TO WIN...KEY WEST 2009 When it’s strictly about winning, the bottom line is - you need the power to perform at optimum in any condition. Powered by the carbon force, Southern Spars congratulates the Acura Key West 2009 winners in the Farr 40 class, Melges 24, Farr 30, Melges 32, and IRC Div 1 runner-up - Rosebud/Team DYT which is also rigged with EC6+ rigging. Learn more about how these yachts are powered to perform in anything: http://www.southernspars.com STORM DECIMATES VOLVO OCEAN RACE FLEET (Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009; Day 8) - The storm that was forecasted prior to the start of Leg 4 of the Volvo Ocean Race greeted the fleet on Saturday with all the hospitality of the grim reaper, and turned what had been a tactical upwind leg into a garage sale. Telefónica Blue, with skipper Bouwe Bekking forced to direct operations from his bunk with an injury to a muscle in his back, emerged through the storm unscathed, other than breaking their wind instruments soon after registering 55 knots of wind. The team centralised the canting keel, sailed with three reefs in the mainsail and a storm jib set and the rest of the sails safely stowed below, to ensure that they could sail as slowly as possible, but with enough steerage to avoid big waves. Other teams weren’t as lucky as Telefónica Blue. Here are the reports: * At 0200 GMT on Saturday, leg 4 leader Puma broke their boom in winds over 50 knots with waves of over 20 feet high. The team immediately turned back to seek shelter in a small harbour on the northern end of the Philippines to wait until the worst of the storm had passed. Puma had returned to the race less than 24 hours later. *At 0530 GMT on Saturday, Telefónica Black pulled off the racecourse to investigate a crack in the hull. By 1000 GMT, the team was back on the racecourse, however, the crew became increasingly concerned by damage to the hull and at 1130 GMT they turned back to the coast. They will now take the necessary time to assess the damage. The team officially retired from the leg on Sunday, and is heading towards Manila where they will rendezvous with their shore crew and design team, to assess what needs to be done to get the boat back in shape and ready for the in-port race in Qingdao on February 7th. * At 0715 GMT on Saturday, Delta Lloyd damaged their main and steering while putting a third reef in 35 knots of wind speed, gusting up to 40 knots along with 3-4 meter waves. The team took shelter and anchored in Salomague Bay in the Philippines to affect repairs, rejoining the race on Sunday. * At 0830 GMT on Saturday morning, with conditions in excess of 50 knots and over 10 metre seas reported, Green Dragon suffered damage to the forward ring frame, and took shelter in the same bay as Delta Lloyd to make repairs. Six hours after Green Dragon rejoined the race on Sunday, the crew reported that the repairs they had made were not holding, but that they would proceed with caution in crossing the Luzon Strait while weighing up their options. The team had already broken their headstay on Jan. 22nd. * Having trailed the fleet up the Philippines, Ericsson 3 and 4 learned of the fleet problems before they reached the peak storm area, and were able to throttle way down to avoid damaging their boats. Along with Telefónica Blue, all three boats are now across the Luzon Strait and are tacking up the eastern coast of Taiwan, currently in winds under 10 knots. Leg Four from Singapore to Qingdao, China is 2,500 nm, with the finish estimated on January 28th. Current positions (as of Jan. 26, 1:00am GMT): 1. Telefónica Blue (ESP), Bouwe Bekking/NED, 723 nm Distance to Finish 2. Ericsson 3 (SWE), Magnus Olsson/SWE, 61 nm Distance to Leader 3. Ericsson 4 (SWE), Torben Grael/BRA, 69 nm DTL 4. PUMA (USA), Ken Read/USA, 197 nm DTL 5. Delta Lloyd (IRL), Roberto Bermudez/ESP, 285 nm DTL 6. Green Dragon (IRL/CHN), Ian Walker/GBR, 309 nm DTL 7. Telefonica Black (ESP), Fernando Echavarri/ESP, Did Not Finish 8. Team Russia (RUS), Andreas Hanakamp/AUT, Did Not Start Race website: http://www.volvooceanrace.org Overall scores: http://www.volvooceanrace.org/rdc/#tab4 Race tracking: http://volvooceanrace.geovoile.com * (Newport, RI) – On Jan. 29th, Sail Newport is hosting a Volvo Ocean Race presentation, with Executive Director Brad Read narrating intense action video from onboard Newport-based PUMA Ocean Racing 70’ boat “il mostro.” Additionally, there will be a Live Feed from the boat, with part-time PUMA crew Jerry Kirby on stage talking with skipper Kenny Read as the team approaches Qingdao. Premiere Racing's Peter Craig will also be speaking, providing details on the race’s Leg 6 finish in Boston, along with the Boston In-Port race. Tickets for the event (6:30-8:30pm) at the Jane Pickens Theater are available online http://208.106.141.167/npt/m/_general/pumaevent.asp QUOTE / UNQUOTE Telefónica Blue skipper Bouwe Bekking on surviving the storm: “In these conditions, down below is the best way to feel how big the crashes are, and when to throttle down. I was really angry when some of the competitors suggested canceling racing, so I didn't get involved with the ridiculous correspondence regarding scoring; this would be a jury issue anyway. If the organisation had given in, all the slogans about how tough this race is could have been thrown out of the window and, worse, it would have been the kiss of death for the future of the race. We always knew this was going to be a horrible leg.” DESJOYEAUX’S FINAL HURDLE (Jan. 25, 2009; Day 77) - Vendee Globe leader Michel Desjoyeaux is currently skirting the Azores High pressure system out in the middle of the North Atlantic, NWW of the Canary Islands. He is making just six knots Sunday evening while Roland Jourdain in second makes over 15 knots of speed. While Marc Guillemot passed Sam Davies by skirting the coast of Brasil, it has been highly labour intensive as he has been dodging fishing boats and their long lines, needing fishermen once to guide him out of one trouble spot. Now Guillemot’s move away from the coast has been expensive, with Davies re-gaining 99 miles since Saturday last night. Sam’s passage northwards to the Doldrums, some 800 miles or so north, looks relatively straightforward and she expects to further narrow the deficit on Guillemot. Solo, non-stop, around the world race in Open 60s. Standings as of 18:30 UTC (30 entrants; 12 now competing): 1. Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA), Foncia, 2007.7 nm Distance to finish 2. Roland Jourdain (FRA), Veolia Environnement, 497.2 nm Distance to leader 3. Armel Le Cléac´h (FRA), Brit Air, 1040.7 nm DTL 3. Vincent Riou (FRA), PRB, Dismasted - Redress Given 4. Marc Guillemot (FRA), Safran, 2103.2 nm DTL 5. Samantha Davies (GBR), Roxy, 2149.3 nm DTL 6. Brian Thompson (GBR), Bahrain Team, 2438.5 nm DTL 7. Dee Caffari (GBR), Aviva, 2504.1 nm DTL 8. Arnaud Boissières (FRA), Akena Vérandas, 2937.1 nm DTL 9. Steve White (GBR), Toe in the Water, 3655.9 nm DTL 10. Rich Wilson (USA), Great American III, 3655.9 nm DTL 11. Raphaël Dinelli (FRA), Fondation Océan Vital, 6983.8 nm DTL 12. Norbert Sedlacek (AUT), Nauticsport-Kapsch, 7069.7 nm DTL Event website: http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en Complete standings: http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/ranking.html Race tracking: http://tracking.vendeeglobe.org/en LATEST BOATING GEAR Myboatsgear.com now offers RSS feeds. By adding the RSS feed to your home page you can see all the latest products in a brief one line title. This way you will not miss cool new products without having to visit the site. When you see something of interest you can click on the RSS feed and this takes you to the site for full details. This week’s newsletter features Marine Refrigeration and looks at all the equipment required, how it works and a list of suppliers. Read about here: http://myboatsgear.com/newsletter/200915.asp RECORD TURNOUT PREPARES FOR OPENING DAY Miami, FL (Jan. 25, 2009) - US SAILING’s Rolex Miami OCR can boast a record turnout for a post-Olympic year, with 443 sailors on 323 boats set to begin racing Monday on Biscayne Bay. The event is critical for 2012 Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls and marks the second of seven stops in the International Sailing Federation’s (ISAF) World Cup. In its 20th year, the event also is the only ranking regatta for American sailors hoping to make the 2009 U.S. Sailing Team AlphaGraphics. The competition consists of fleet and match racing through Friday, with Paralympic class medalists determined that day and Olympic class medalists determined after the top ten proceed to a sail-off on Saturday, replicating the Olympic format. With 41 countries registered, the USA has the largest contingent of sailors with 173, followed by Canada (80), Great Britain (29), Italy (14), Spain (13) and Denmark (11). -- Read on: http://linkbee.com/CG7L IS BARKER THE BEST IN THE WORLD? Dean Barker says it's not the Kiwi way to spout on about it ... but deep down he believes he's the best sailor in the world. Better than Brad Butterworth. Better than Russell Coutts. No 1. End of story. "I have never been one to blow my own trumpet and stand up and say I am the best in the world. I like to go out and prove that on the water. But on any given day I can beat them, so," he says, pausing to think about his words. "Yes, I guess that means I think I'm the best in the world." Beginning Saturday, we will start to get a clearer picture on whether he's correct when all three Kiwi sailing greats go head-to-head on almost identical America's Cup class yachts. Months, and in the case of Coutts, years of frustration will be vented during the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series on Auckland's Waitemata Harbour. While the America's Cup is in legal limbo, this regatta is a welcome chance to bring together the world's best sailors. -- Read on: http://www.stuff.co.nz/sundaystartimes/4828809a6444.html * On Jan. 24th, the 10 teams entered in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series began a week of practice on the four boats to familiarize themselves with their systems and the racing location. Event website: http://www.louisvuitton-pacificseries.com CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar SAILING SHORTS * Key West, FL (Jan. 25, 2009) - In the first event organized by the Chicago Match Racing Center, Charlie Enright and his team of Ryan Brown, Sarah Callahan, Peter Henderson, and John Loe have won the inaugural Key West Match Race Invitational. Enright, from Bristol, RI, earned his place in the first-to-two point Finals by finishing Stage 1 as runner-up on a score of 10-5 to Mike Buckley’s score of 11-4, and then went on to win 2-0. -- Read on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=6941 * Sail Sheboygan, an organization that helped bring the 2010 U.S. Women's Match Racing Championship to the city, now has a 99-year lease to construct a sailing center near the Harbor Centre Marina and the Sheboygan Yacht Club. Sail Sheboygan was formed in 2004 to organize the 2005 Lightning North American Championships here, and last June, the organization was successful in obtaining a designation for Sheboygan as a U.S. Sailing Center from the U.S. Sailing Association. Sheboygan is one of four such centers; the others are in Miami, Martin County, Fla., and Long Beach, Calif. -- Complete story: http://www.sheboyganpress.com/article/20090123/SHE0101/901230406/1062/SHE01 * The World Tour Qualification Series (TQS) schedule has been announced, which provides alternative ways to gain entry to the World Match Racing Tour. In addition to teams holding a Tour Card, an applicant can apply directly to the event promoter for one of their Wild Cards; all events have at least two. The second option is to take part in a TQS event. Each Tour event will invite two skippers from their designated qualifiers. -- Full details: http://www.worldmatchracingtour.com/da/93326 * Nathan Outteridge (AUS) finally scored a heat win on the last day of the Zhik International Moth Australia Nationals and it cemented his place at the top of the series pointscore in his first hit out in this class. The 22 year old, who is the current world champion in the 49er class, had spent only 25 hours settling into the new class of boat following his Beijing Olympic 49er campaign. American Bora Gulari finished sixth overall. -- Complete report and results: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=6939 * The National Women’s Sailing Association (NWSA) has elected a new slate of officers for its board of directors for 2009. Now heading up NWSA are President Joan Thayer, Marblehead, MA; Vice President Linda Newland, Port Townsend, WA; Secretary Darthea Collins, Hingham, MA; and Treasurer Becky Squires, Alexandria, VA. NWSA is a national organization focused on education and opportunities for women sailors. -- Read on: http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=6940 * The skipper of the 163ft Perini Navi ketch Perseus, Australian Drew Gollan, has been shot and killed in an incident in Falmouth Harbour Antigua. The shooting took place outside the Gallery Bar on the road between English Harbour and Falmouth Harbour. A source on the island said that he was shot in front of his partner, Elena and young child while on their way home after dinner. -- Yachting World, full story: http://www.ybw.com/auto/newsdesk/20090023134203supersailworld.html SCUTTLEBUTT SURVEY If you read the headlines, we should all descend to our basements, and wait for the economic storm to pass. But sailing is our passion, and if that is taken away, what have we got? There is no denying that money has gotten tighter, and financial security is not what it once was. Will these realities affect your sailing schedule in 2009? The Scuttlebutt Survey asks two quick questions: * Will you be more, less, or as active in 2009 as 2008? * Will your event travel be more, less, or the same in 2009 as 2008? Post answers/ comments here: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/polls/09/0123 CURMUDGEON’S BUMPER STICKER I Do Whatever My Rice Krispies Tell Me To. Special thanks to Southern Spars and MyBoatsGear.com. A complete list of preferred suppliers is at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ssc/suppliers |
